This invention relates to copper(I) oxalate complexes. More particularly, the copper(I) oxalate complexes contain CO and/or unsaturated hydrocarbons as ligands.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,391 discloses a gas-producing charge for use in a non-detonating decomposition. The composition contains nitroguanidine or guanidine nitrate and a copper compound such as copper powder, cupric oxide, cuprous chloride or cuprous oxylate. A. P. Glaskova, Explosivstoffe, 23,137-145(1973) describes the effects of catalysts on the deflagration of certain classes of explosives. Cu.sub.2 C.sub.2 O.sub.4 and its effects on ammonium perchlorate are shown in FIG. 8 and Table V.
It is known that certain copper(I) salts form complexes with olefins and acetylenes. For example, cuprous chloride is known to form complexes with both ethylene and acetylene. U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,112 teaches a method of separating a mixture of hydrocarbons having differing degrees of unsaturation using a copper(I) salt of the formula CuXA where XA is an anion, X is oxygen or fluorine and A is the remainder of the anion. In general, anions of the cuprous salts are anions of inorganic, organic or organo-inorganic acids, wherein the pK.sub.a values are in the order of 4.6 or less. CuXA forms a cuprous complex with said unsaturated hydrocarbon. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,754,047 and 3,755,487 disclose a process for separating complexible ligands such as olefins, acetylenes, aromatics and CO from a feed-stream using cuprous salts such as CuAlCl.sub.4, CuBF.sub.4, CuOOCCF.sub.3, CuPF.sub.6 and the like.
It is also known that certain cuprous salt solutions will absorb CO. A review of the early literature may be found in J. Appl. Chem. (London), 15, 17-28 (1965). U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,292 describes a process for recovering CO from CO.sub.2 -free gas streams using an absorber solution containing a copper ammonium C.sub.1-2 acylate.